Do you aspire to be a data analyst in the UK? Companies today depend on data to make decisions and find opportunities for improvement. Data analysts convert complex data into actionable information that assists executives in making sound business choices. A career as a data analyst can allow you to have a significant influence on business decision-making processes. This article will explain what a data analyst does, how to become one, and answer some commonly asked questions about data analysts.
What Do Data Analysts Do?
Data analysts gather, structure, and analyse massive amounts of data from various sources to provide meaningful business insights. They engage in banking, marketing, investment, consulting, education, governance, technology, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing, among other fields. In general, data analysts are responsible for the following tasks:
- Complete data processing with statistical techniques
- Provide management with data
- Collect information from main and secondary sources.
- Maintain and manage data networks
- Convert data into understandable knowledge.
- To spot company trends, use data analysis and statistical modelling tools.
- Provide management with advice on how to prioritise business knowledge.
- Make statistics, graphs and diagrams.
- Reporting and interpreting graphs
- Examine management questions and the data required to solve them.
- Assist management in comprehending data context both locally and globally.
Data Analyst Pay Estimates
Data researchers are typically employed full-time. Their earnings are affected by their expertise, business, and geographical location. In the United Kingdom (UK), the average yearly salary for data analysts is £32,383. According to Indeed Salaries, data analysts make an average of £40,490 annually in London.
Data Analyst Job Description
A Data Analyst’s responsibilities include deep data analysis and finding the best method to visually represent it to managers and stakeholders. They also oversee quality assurance and procedure documentation and the development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Prerequisites for Data Analysts: How To Become A Data Analyst UK?
A bachelor’s degree, professional certifications, relevant job experience, and technical skills may be required to work as a data analyst. Following are the details on how to become a UK data analyst.
Education
A bachelor’s degree may be required to work as a data researcher. A master’s degree, on the other hand, can increase your earning capacity. The following degrees are required to become a data analyst:
Computer Science:
The job of a data analyst entails working with complicated software applications and tools. A degree in computer science prepares you to deal with software applications and tools. By learning computer science, you can learn computer programming, algorithms, artificial intelligence, software engineering, operating systems, and computer architecture.
Mathematics:
A degree in mathematics provides data analysts with problem-solving abilities, mathematical modelling, formal reasoning, proof, and data structures. Discrete mathematics provides the basis for computer systems used in data analytics and mathematical reasoning and abstract thinking skills. Mathematics also teaches you how to represent numerical results in the shape of charts, tables, and graphs.
Statistics:
A degree in statistics allows data analysts to comprehend and learn from the data they work with. After comprehending the data, they can translate it into information management can use to make business choices. Statistics study provides a foundation in computing, data science, probability, and numerical analysis.
Economics:
A degree in economics prepares you to use data to solve questions about optimal behaviour. It assists you in analysing data from research articles and case studies and produces information management can use. The degree also prepares data analysts to work with big datasets, clean data, and solve unstructured problems.
Training
Employees with the degrees mentioned above can learn as data analysts in-house. The length of the training can vary depending on the business and the skill levels of the trainee data analysts. Interning at businesses or attending coding boot camps can also help you gain data analysis experience.
Certifications
Data analysts who use data analysis tools from certain software vendors can earn certifications. Their certification demonstrates that you are knowledgeable and dedicated to a job in data analysis. Among the qualifications studied and used by data analysts are the following:
Cloudera Certified Associate Data Analyst
You can use this certification to create data reports as a data analyst. With this certification, you can also become a structured query language (SQL) developer, business analytics expert or architect, and database administrator.
Certified Analytics Professional (INFORMS):
A bachelor’s degree with five years of professional analytics experience or a master’s degree with three years of comparable experience may be required to obtain this qualification. To take the test, you may be required to sign an ethics code and provide a third-party reference.
MapR Certified Data Analyst
This certification prepares you to modify and analyse large datasets using SQL, Apache Hive, Apache Drill, and Apache Pig tools. To study for this certification, you must have completed a MapR exam and be familiar with SQL queries and troubleshooting.
MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert)
Data Management and Analytics: This certification validates your knowledge of business intelligence, enterprise-scale data solutions, database architecture, and SQL administration. You may need certification in machine learning, data engineering in Azure, database development, SQL database administration, or Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate in SQL Server to prepare for this certification.
Skills
Many data analysts have created diverse skill sets to become effective data analysts. Before pursuing data analysis, you should consider building the following skills:
Data Visualisation:
Data analysts must be able to create visually attractive, clear, and meaningful data representations. Great visualisations and graphs make information easy to understand and allow informed decision-making.
Detail-Oriented:
Data analysers must be detail-oriented to detect incorrect, outdated, redundant, or irrelevant information. Attention to detail enables data analysts to detect and correct inconsistencies and errors in big datasets.
Mathematics and Statistics:
Accurate data analysis requires strong mathematical and statistical abilities. Formulas are used, numbers are combined to get the desired data findings, depreciation and compound interest are computed, and so on. Data analysts can also use their mathematical and statistical abilities to visualise numerical results in graphs, charts, and tables.
Proficiency in Computer Languages:
To manipulate data and extract information, data analysts must be proficient in one or more computer languages such as Python, MATLAB, C+++, PHP, Javascript, extensible markup language (XML), Apache Hadoop, and SQL.
Communication Skills:
Data analysts must accurately and honestly communicate insights drawn from data to executives who make business choices for the firm.
Machine Learning Skills:
Machine learning skills and knowledge allow data analysts to learn how programmed systems use data to make predictions and decisions.
How to Work as a Data Analyst?
Here are some stages to becoming a data analyst:
Complete A Bachelor’s Degree
Degrees in statistics, computer science, mathematics, or economics provide a solid foundation for a job in data analysis.
Get Some Job Experience
Find chances to acquire experience after finishing your degree studies, such as internships or volunteering. This experience provides practical data analysis knowledge and connects you with experienced data analysts who can counsel you.
Become Acquainted With Computer Code
You can use different data analysis systems if you learn a few programming languages. These programmes include Python, MATLAB, C++, PHP, Javascript, extensible markup language (XML), Apache Hadoop, and SQL. Short classes and degree programmes are available for learning languages.
Aim For Expert Certifications
There are expert certifications that data analysts can obtain to be competent with various data analysis software. MapR Certified Data Analyst, Cloudera Certified Associate Data Analyst, INFORMS Certified Analytics Professional, and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics are some available certifications.
Create A CV And Apply For Jobs
Once you have obtained the necessary basic data analysis credentials, create a CV and begin applying for data analysis jobs. Include your educational background, professional certifications, skills, and job experience in data analysis or information technology on your CV.
Data Analyst Careers: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions and answers to help you better comprehend a data analyst career path:
What Exactly Is The Distinction Between A Business Analyst And A Data Analyst?
A business analyst’s primary responsibility is discovering insights into data that improve business success, such as sales, consumer trends, and company expenses. Data analysts look for trends, hidden patterns, and insights in data that management can use to predict behaviours and enhance decision-making in marketing and business strategies.
What Exactly Is The Distinction Between A Data Scientist And A Data Analyst?
A data analyst presents to management executives information extracted from data on the current state of the company or organisation. These executives then use the info to make new business decisions. Data scientists conduct long-term studies and forecasting to create new products and insights anticipating future consumer needs.
What is the Google Data Analytics Certification for?
The Google Data Analytics Certificate is for anyone interested in how things function. There is no need for previous experience or a specific tool. All you need is some middle-school math.
Do Data Analysts Work From Home?
Many data analysts work remotely and access data on cloud platforms to perform data analysis software online.
Author Bio:
This article is written by Jonathan Naylor, a dissertation writer and research analyst working with The Academic Papers UK. It is one of the most famous firms where students can buy dissertation online at the most affordable price.
